Justice
by Heaven's Guardian
Summary: A hero has done his duty. He has saved the world, but lost everything important to him in the process. He needs a second chance, but this time with something that was missing the first time around. It is time for justice to be served.
1. Songs We Used to Sing

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise or any of its characters, settings and items.**

This story takes place immediately after Ocarina of Time and does not include any events from Majora's Mask.

See if you can recognize where the chapter titles come from!

Chapter 1: Songs We Used to Sing

As a young Hylian woman played her ocarina, three goddesses looked down from their thrones. There was much that their creations had done in the past with magic, but never before had they been so audacious as to meddle with the most difficult and complicated form of magic: time. They had watched for seven years as their pride and joy was ruined by the Gerudo wielder of the Triforce of Courage, but they had known all the while that their hero lay in wait to save Hyrule. They were ecstatic to see the hero, with the help of the Seven Sages, storm their enemy's castle and strike him down to be sealed away. But now, they planned on changing the past!

The first goddess was called Din. The goddess with the greatest strength and creator of the world, she had always respected those mortals with great power. That was why she had allowed that foul Gerudo to take her relic in the first place, though he had not been foul then. No, back then he had just been a leader with the greatest potential she had ever seen, so allowing him to control her power was a way of seeing a taste of what she could do if she was allowed. It hurt her to watch all of the destruction caused by her power, but she also knew that the world would become stagnant without those of great power. Had it not been for her champion acting as a foil the other two would never have been needed, and the world would fall apart in a few generations. She knew that her power was needed, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less to watch the destruction it caused. Still though, what kind of mad person would try to change the past? It might work, but then what would happen to all of the work that had been done? Despite all of the suffering the world had endured, so much more could result from this seemingly small action.

The second goddess was Nayru. Goddess of wisdom, she had created the laws for the world to abide by. It had pained her greatly to watch those laws fall apart from the great enemy's power, for even as the great enemy destroyed her work those fighting him began to fall down to his level, abandoning their own rules and either joining him for his power or slaughtering indiscriminately in their grief. It had been a long seven years, and now she was ready to move on and try to rebuild the world. She was revered among the masses for her wisdom, but this time her champion was showing a disturbing lack of it. Despite her age, the princess had always known what was for the best in the past. Personal feelings could not interfere with the greater good. It was obvious how the girl wanted the best for her hero, but the world was more than one boy. His suffering saved the world, but was it worth it to undo his sacrifice to regain his childhood? He sacrificed his childhood the first time, and all that would come from this would be that he would have to do so again.

The final goddess was known as Farore. She didn't have the great and mighty powers of her sisters, but instead something far subtler, and in the end something far greater. As the goddess of courage she had far more leeway to intervene then her sisters, for it was much easier to take something that was already in someone's heart than to introduce something new. She had taken a pregnant, dying woman into the Lost Woods where she gave birth to a son. Despite the fear of outsiders that was common amongst the Kokiri, a tiny people of children who inhabited the Lost Woods, she had spoken to their god, a creation of Nayru known as the Great Deku Tree. He had immediately understood what had to be done and he infused the poor boy with Kokiri blood, allowing him to be unharmed by the protections of the forest. Even so, Farore's chosen was going to need something a little bit more. The future hero was going to need a reason to fight. So the Great Deku Tree placed the new addition to the forest under the wing of his youngest child and the future Forest Sage, Saria.

Even from the start, it had been obvious to the other Kokiri that Link was different. Children they may have been, but most of them had lived long enough to realize that every Kokiri child was given a fairy as soon as they could walk. Link had not been, because although it may have been cruel, Link could not be so happy in the forest that he would never be willing to leave it when he was needed. Some of the Kokiri even began to shun Link, especially their self-proclaimed alpha male Mido, in the way that children often do to those who seem different. But it was not so with Saria. She had only been created eight years before Link was brought to the village, but she was already the wisest and most powerful of the Kokiri, and they all looked up to her as their leader. She cared for Link even though she knew that he was different, and she was well rewarded with a close friendship that evolved to a point where the two of them were almost dependent on each other.

When Navi had come to Link that fateful morning, Saria knew that it was time for Link to leave her. Even as he left on his journey to save the world, she kept on a brave face in front of him, giving him her ocarina and her song so that he could speak to her whenever he wanted. That night, she wept alone in her bed. Even as Link faced his challenges, he still missed the comfort of home. Even worse, when Link had begun his seven year sleep, Saria had fallen into a deep despair, unknowingly weakening the sage's protection of the forest and allowing Ganondorf to capture her. At that final meeting of theirs it had been so obvious that neither of them wanted to accept their destiny and leave the other behind, but didn't fight it for they both knew it was necessary to save the world. And now all of them sat there watching the fate of the world play out, not only the goddesses but the other Sages who had gone to the Spirit Realm to watch over the champions. Just like the goddesses however, the Sages were split on what they felt should happen.

Three sages, those of Light, Shadow and Spirit, Rauru, Impa and Nabooru, were inclined to agree with the goddesses. They remembered all too well how Hyrule had suffered throughout those long years of Ganondorf's rule, where they were captured and held or forced to submit to his power.

Impa, having been forced to watch Zelda spend seven years as Sheik, where she couldn't even remember her past and had to create a fake one, could not bear to watch all of her suffering thrown away. Her charge had been tormented greatly while in hiding, but she could be happy now. Ever since Link's appearance in her castle when he was still a boy, she knew that Zelda had always held a soft spot for him, and now she could spend her life with him. She had done her duty to protect her until she could protect herself, and now she could pass on.

Nabooru remembered all of the suffering that had gone on while Ganondorf ruled the Gerudo and shuddered at the thought that it might not be over with. She had been the second-in-command for the longest time to Ganondorf, but knowing that he had brainwashed her to do all of those horrible things the fact that her people would now be weaker was obviously worth keeping him away for good. She had met Link only that one time, and although she felt sorry for his suffering there was too much at stake to let it all happen again.

Rauru had spent centuries waiting in the Temple of Light for the next generation of Sages to be born, so long that he had believed it not to be true and that he would be trapped forever, never passing on to the Spirit Realm. He had stayed behind as one of the original Seven Sages, waiting to help the others unlock their powers and guide Link to the defeat of Ganondorf through the use of his owl form. Now it was done, and he could finally leave this world behind and watch from beyond if that silly girl was stopped by the goddesses. It was obviously hard for her to accept that her friend had lost his childhood, but she had to be made to see that they could all die if she wasn't stopped.

However, the other three, not including the princess herself, felt quite differently from their fellow Sages. The three of them that had been the closest to Link felt that if they owed him one thing for all he had been through, it was the chance to grow up on his own. Sure, Ganondorf would return, but the seal would take time to unravel, and during that time they could prepare and make sure the future timeline wasn't any worse than the past one.

Darunia, ruler of the Gorons and sworn brother to the Hero of Time, remembered the first time he had met Link when the hero was still a young boy, alone in the world but for a fairy and a friend he couldn't even see. He remembered how depressed he had been at the plight of the Gorons, and how Link had cheered him up with the song of one of his fellow Sages, although he hadn't known that at the time and neither had Link. He had watched as Link fought against impossible odds to save their people and how, unlike most "heroes" he had heard of in the past, he never spoke of it to others, never boasting or expecting to be named a lord. That was why he now wished for the goddesses to let it all play itself out, because he wanted Link to regain that innocence he had had. He'd seen and been forced to do far too much for the world, and now he didn't even belong in the one he had created.

Ruto, princess of the Zora and former self-proclaimed fiancée of the Hero of Time, looked back to the first time she had met the hero. He had been truly innocent back then, and that had been what had attracted her to him. Although she didn't know him as well as some of the other sages, it was obvious that he had been tasked with a great burden that no child was ready to handle, and so he didn't begrudge him a little bit of happiness. She remembered how carefree and innocent she had been once, before the sorrow took it away, but Link had never had a chance to grow into his role. He had never had a chance to grow up. His duties had been thrust upon him, and now there was nothing left for him in this new and strange world.

Although each of the other sages had been touched by Link's deeds in one way or another, the final sage was the only one who really knew him. Saria, Sage of the Forest and Link's childhood friend, was the only sage who knew why Link needed to go back into the past. Ever since the Deku Tree called on her to take care of a baby Link, she had been closer to him than anyone else. Despite the fact that she'd been barely eight winters old when she was asked to raise a child, she had accepted the role without question, and over the ten years they had spent together they could not have become closer had they shared a single mind. She always knew what Link was thinking and he her, and now, even after seven years of separation, she could still understand him. He didn't really need to go back and regain his innocence or learn to deal with a new world, but he still had to go back. There was something more important to him than all of that, and that was his future. Saria knew full well that Link wasn't cut out to be a ruler. The princess had shown some level of attraction towards him, but Link was only doing what he thought to be his duty. If she asked him to stay with her and lead her people, he probably would, because he felt responsible for not ending the war sooner. That was just his personality. Then he would be cooped up in the castle with an armada of guards, and he would rust away. He may not have been full-blood Kokiri, but there was no way he could survive without the wild, without being able to fight for himself and what he thought was right, not for the greater good of a kingdom. Politics and planning wasn't Link's job, that was Zelda's. She was the one with the Triforce of Wisdom; she was the one who was meant to lead Hyrule. Link was meant to be its protector. If he was sent back, Ganondorf would be set free, but not right away, and even then he would not have the Triforce of Power until he could locate and enter the Temple of Time. Even better, the Seven Sages would return to the living world in order to prevent the catastrophe which would occur from having six important people simply vanish the moment Link and Zelda returned. Moreover, Link would return to the Kokiri Forest, where he could stay with her for a little while longer. He couldn't just go to Hyrule Castle and expect the king to believe that he saved Hyrule in a future that no longer existed, and a ten-year old couldn't exactly get a job in Hyrule that would take advantage of his skills. It was better for everyone that Link became happy again, and that could only happen if the goddesses refused to intervene.

However, to an onlooker to the proceedings that would have seemed unlikely. Din and Nayru were already discussing with one another what the possible implications of their actions could be to others, while Farore sat alone, deep in thought. Interfering with the living world on this scale wasn't something they had done for a few centuries, so they weren't quite sure what the potential side-effects of their interference could be, or even how exactly to go about it. The sages sat quietly, knowing that the goddesses would not be swayed by anything they said, and that trying to interject in the discussion would only get their opinions ignored.

Din, being the most impulsive of the trio, if such a thing could be said for ones who had existed for millennia, advocated simply removing the power of the Ocarina of Time altogether. "Why do they need these artifacts anymore with such great power? Ganondorf has been defeated, and the purpose of the Ocarina has been served already. Besides, if they are strong enough they will be able to rule over the people of Hyrule without the help of our relics."

Nayru was not exactly thrilled with the plan, if you could call it that, which her sister had come up with. It was far too shortsighted, although Din had never been the long-term thinker of the group. The seal that the sages had placed on Ganondorf would last for centuries, but not forever, and when he eventually broke free the Ocarina of Time might be needed once more. Her sister had always been obsessed with using one's own power unless she gave it to them personally, but the world was not ruled by those who had the greatest natural strength. It would be much better if they were to simply temporarily disable the Ocarina of Time until it was needed again, or at least to disable the abilities that separated it from a normal ocarina. "Sister Din, what would happen if Ganondorf were to break free again? We know full well that he cannot be sealed forever, and taking away the Ocarina will also prevent it from being used to stop him when he does. I feel that we must therefore make the Ocarina of Time into a regular Ocarina, until such time as it is needed again."

"You are, as always, right, sister Nayru. We must act now to stop this disaster before it ruins Hyrule in its entirety. This is how we must cast the spell: I must first place my power into the spell so it will be strong enough to affect such a powerful magical object. Then you, sister Nayru, must master the power and control its intent, so that it affects only the Ocarina of Time and no other magical items in the area. Finally, you, sister Farore, must cross the border into Hyrule and release the spell, since you are the only one of us who can cross over without losing the power of the spell. Are we all clear?"

Nayru gave her sister a firm nod, while Farore glanced over at her sisters and lifted her hand in assent. Were her sisters truly so blind as to miss the consequences of their actions? It wasn't so surprising that Din was missing the flaw, but Nayru, who was supposed to be so wise? It seemed as if even the goddess of wisdom couldn't see everything, and that meant that it was up to her to make sure that everything went the way it was supposed to.

Din drew all her power together as the sages watched on in awe. They had never seen all three goddesses using their true power before, and they were stunned at by how much it surpassed their own. It took Din a full minute to gather every last drop of her power together, before Nayru forced her way in. She pushed her will into the magic in order to subjugate it and ensure that it was all focused on the Ocarina of Time, while simultaneously casting the spell in order to ensure that the ocarina would only have its power removed, and not destroy it entirely. After she had turned the great ball of magic into a small, swirling red ball the size of her hand, she passed it over to Farore and told her, "There it is, sister. Now you must finish this." The two sisters, Din and Nayru, then collapsed in exhaustion after using all of their magic in order to make sure that their spell did not fail. They were sure they had prevented a catastrophe.

As Farore took the spell out of the Spirit Realm and into Hyrule, Saria met her eyes once, silently pleading for her not to destroy the spirit of her best friend. Farore gave no response, but took the mass of energy out into the field outside Hyrule Castle where Link and Zelda were finishing up their final looks at the world they would leave behind. It would be so easy to release the spell and ensure the safety of Hyrule for generations to come. However, when those generations were over there would be no hero reincarnated into Hyrule again to save it, because he would be broken beyond repair in this one. She hadn't so much as twitched her brow in response to Saria's gaze earlier, but there was no question that she would hear her pleas answered. As Zelda raised the Ocarina of Time to her lips, Farore raised her hand and cast the ball of magic straight up to the heavens, where it dissipated amongst the stars. One part of her goal was now done, but the other still had to be completed. As Zelda played the Song of Time, Farore interwove a melody of her own along with it, to cast a spell with far less power and flashiness but no less of an effect than the one her sisters had created. It was time for the second part of her plan to come into fruition. It was time for the world to have justice.

When Farore cast the spell into the sky, the Spirit Realm erupted into turmoil. Din and Nayru would have been screaming at their sister if they hadn't been too tired to stand, while five of the sages began arguing with one another about whether or not Farore had been right to do as she did. However, one sage sat alone in her corner, with tears running down her face: tears of joy. Saria, Sage of the Forest and de facto leader of the Kokiri, wept for Link as a large part of his burden was removed from his shoulders. Even more so, she wept for herself, since she would be able to see Link again when she had thought she had lost him forever. Still, she hadn't failed to notice the second song that was playing alongside the Song of Time. It was an obscure song, one that was known only to the Kokiri, or so she had thought. It was one that the Great Deku Tree had shown them through their fairies. Supposedly, it had great magical powers when played by the right person, and they had tried to recreate these powers without success. She had no clue what kind of change it would have in the new timeline, nor could she have known that as the dimensions shifted and her spirit travelled back seven years to the time when Link first opened the Temple of Time, his thoughts resembled hers. He had also heard Farore's song, and although he had no idea where it came from he remembered that song. It had always been one of Saria's favorites, one that came up often in the plays they held in the summer. _'That was one of the songs we used to sing.'_

**Well, that's the end of Chapter 1. If there are any grammatical errors I missed please tell me so I can correct them. Chapter 2 should be finished in the next few weeks, but don't expect one every couple of days because I have school to deal with.**


	2. I'll Cry Tomorrow

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise or any of its characters, settings and items.**

Chapter 2: I'll Cry Tomorrow

It only took a few minutes, but those minutes felt like an eternity. Traveling back through time was a completely new experience, as they had to be shifted outside of the universe so it could reset itself. There was nothing but consciousness for them, with no senses whatsoever as their bodies had to be destroyed and new ones created. It didn't hurt to have one's body destroyed, just a quick jerk as the soul came out of the body and it was over with. There were eight of them in the portal, Link and the Seven Sages, as the goddesses had temporarily retreated from the Hyrulian universe while the dimensions restored themselves. The travelers, Ganondorf and the goddesses would be the only ones to remember the old future, as the rest of the people in Hyrule had been simply destroyed in the old timeline. It would be far too chaotic to have them remember what had happened, so they would remain exactly as they had been when Link first pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal.

Suddenly, those who had been inside the portal felt a second tug at their spirits. Before they knew it, they were yanked back into the universe and into their restored bodies exactly where they had been in the future. Well, Link and Zelda were, at any rate. The other sages, who had been in the Spirit Realm and had not actually been anywhere physically in the future, were pulled back to the spot they had been when Link had first grasped the Master Sword. It was back to mundane tasks for them, at least for the moment. They still all had parts to play yet, for Ganondorf's seal had been created by their future selves. Since he was sealed away in the Spirit Realm the seal was not completely destroyed, but the power the sages had been pumping into it was no longer available to them. It had already begun to break down, although not even the goddesses knew how long it would be before it had weakened enough for Ganondorf to escape. At any rate, their parts were yet to come. However, the two bearers of the mark of the goddesses who remained in Hyrule were about to find out exactly what their respective rulers thought of their actions.

Link and Zelda took a look around the field outside the castle. It looked just as they'd remembered it, with the long green grass, the tall strong trees and the hot bright sun, before it had been perverted by Ganondorf's dark power. They gently smiled at each other. All was as it should be. Link nodded at the princess, and turned to leave. He didn't know where he was going to go next, but he had a mind to go and check up on some of the friends he had met on his journey. Malon would be happy to see him again, and he might visit Darunia and Ruto after they had a chance to settle into their lives once again. He hadn't actually known that the sages would be coming back with them, but he was pleasantly surprised to feel their energy in the portal with him, even if they couldn't communicate. He should probably call Saria on her ocarina too, though he wasn't entirely sure what to say. She had been his best friend for ten years, and he had resigned himself to never being able to talk to her again. He still didn't think that he could actually visit her in the Lost Woods since he wasn't a Kokiri, and now the Great Deku Tree could no longer protect him from the spell covering the woods. Still, it was better than he could have hoped for. A sharp voice snapped him out of his musings.

"Link! LINK!" Apparently the princess had been trying to get his attention. "What is it?"

Zelda faintly blushed, although it was completely unnoticeable to Link. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to stay at the castle. I know that you really don't have anywhere to go right now, and the Hero of Time shouldn't be wandering around looking for somewhere to sleep. I'm sure that I can convince my dad to let you stay."

Entirely unnoticed to their two champions, Nayru and Farore were both watching them from not twenty feet away. Although Din and Nayru were still extremely angry at Farore for ruining their plan to stop the time-travel, they had agreed to put that fight off until they had discussions with their respective champions. Well, Nayru and Farore would have these discussions anyway; Din had no desire to go anywhere near her champion anymore, although she certainly could get past the seal to speak with him. Now, they were each preparing to appear in exceptionally flashy manners, although their topics of choice could hardly be more different.

Meanwhile, Link was mulling over Zelda's offer. 'Should I take her up on this? She's right; I really don't have anywhere to stay.' He might have asked Talon to stay at his ranch until he was able to find somewhere else, but it wasn't like he could just buy a plot of land and build a house on it. He didn't have anywhere near enough money for starters; a thousand rupees wasn't going to buy him an abandoned shack at the edge of the Lost Woods. Secondly, he didn't actually know how to do much of anything that would be necessary to live in Hyrule. The Kokiri had an entirely different way of life that he was accustomed to, and a homeless nomad wouldn't be able to survive in winter, even if he could go for nights on end without food or sleep if he had to. Before he had a chance to answer Zelda, an extremely bright light forced him to shield his eyes. The ground started to tremble, knocking both him and Zelda to the ground. As suddenly as it had appeared, the light disappeared, leaving the forms of two women floating in midair.

Link had drawn the Kokiri sword the instant he had been blinded, but found that he could not swing it. It was as if his arm simply refused to move. Zelda tried to charge up a light spell, but it fizzled out almost instantaneously. As they dropped into guarded stances, two voices rang out from the forms of the women.

"Wait! We must speak with you, Hero of Time and Princess Zelda of Hyrule."

The voices both held elements of great power, but that was the only similarity between the two. One of them was weary and a little angry, but still held an unmistakable tone of confidence that said its owner was to be obeyed, or else. The other one was gentler and kinder, more like a kindly old grandmother telling children stories of great heroes and their deeds, but it still commanded respect.

The kindly voice spoke next. "Link, Zelda, we are the goddesses of Hyrule who have come to talk to you about what you have just done. I am Farore, Goddess of Courage and my sister here is Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom. We will each take you away from here for a little while, into our dominion in the Spirit Realm. Do not be alarmed, you will return to this very spot when we are done, and no time shall pass in Hyrule while we are gone." Nayru was somewhat unhappy at how Farore was treating them after they endangered all of Hyrule, but her sister had seen some reason to allow this to go on so it was only to be expected.

Zelda was the first to snap out of her shock at the appearance of two of the three goddesses that had created their world. After all, it wasn't every day one got to see them personally, even if one was part of the royal family. "Of course, Lady Farore. We are honored." Link, having spent most of his life in the Kokiri forest, was somewhat less used to meeting very important people. Sure, he'd met Zelda, but they were both children at the time, mentally as well as physically. This time, he was meeting two of the creators of their entire world. He could only dumbly nod his head before the goddesses each took the hand of their champions and they vanished back into a void.

Zelda and Nayru appeared in a vast room filled with shelves of scrolls, books and papers. What interested Zelda was that every single item on those shelves was perfectly ordered. Not a thing in the room was out of place. At first she was confused as to why Nayru would put so much work into all of this, but then she remembered that the goddesses didn't need to physically organize all of the books. A spell to do something like that for such an enormous collection would take far more magic than the entire Royal Family had, but this was _Nayru_. She could cast a spell like this in her sleep. While she was still admiring the collection, Nayru spoke to her again in that same weary yet confident voice.

"Are you really surprised, child? I am the Goddess of Wisdom, who created the laws of Hyrule in my image. Did you think that I would allow my own stores of knowledge to be cluttered?"

Zelda shook her head quickly. It certainly wouldn't be appropriate to admit that she had been a little flustered. "No, Lady Nayru. I am simply confused as to why you need all these tomes. Isn't your own knowledge so vast as to make all this unnecessary?"

She was answered by a harsh laugh. "My dear child, surely you don't believe that we are all-powerful? We may have created Hyrule, but we are only a few of those who came from another realm, some of whom are far stronger than us. We know far more than beings of Hyrule can ever hope to comprehend, but there is still so much to learn, and there are still some spells that we cannot cast or require help to do so. Otherwise, we would not be speaking here right now, because I never would have let you travel back in time. If I had been able to intervene without trusting that Sister Farore would transport the spell into Hyrule, this would all never have happened. As you can clearly tell, Sister Farore had different ideas about the spell and so ruined the spell. This is what I have come to talk to you about today. Do you have any idea what you have done?"

Zelda gave Nayru a confused stare. "I just sent Link back in time so he could relive the seven years he missed while he was sleeping in my temple. What's wrong with that?"

Nayru laughed her harsh laugh again. "And what of everything that happened during those seven years that no longer exists? Did you think that all of that would be unaffected and that your actions would have no greater effect than what you intended?"

"Wait, you mean…"

"That is correct, Princess Zelda. At least your wisdom has not vanished entirely. The power that you used to seal Ganondorf away no longer exists. Luckily, he was sealed away outside of Hyrule, so he has not escaped already. The magic that the Seven Sages used to seal him away still holds, but there will no longer be a steady flow of magic into the seal from the sages. We do not know how long it will take him to break free, but he has almost certainly discovered the flaw and will be once again terrorizing Hyrule at the earliest possible moment. Now do you see how your actions, instead of allowing the Hero of Time to relive his missing childhood in peace, will force him yet again to fight the great evil? How the danger of Ganondorf taking over the land has returned? Even more so, he has not forgotten how or by whom he was defeated last time, although he does not know that the timeline has been destroyed. He will return even stronger, though without the power of the Triforce of Power until he manages to acquire the gemstones and Ocarina of Time to enter it or until you enter it yourself. This is why I truly called you here, my champion. Your actions have put the world I love in a great deal of danger, but there is still hope for it to turn out for the best. You must not under _any circumstances_ enter your temple until the Hero of Time is old enough to wield the Master Sword, for the entrance of a living body will require you to open the doors yourself, and when you do Ganondorf will have an opening to regain the Triforce. Your part will remain with you, as shall the Hero's, but if he can gain the Triforce of Power there will be no hope to seal him again without the Master Sword, and now that you have sent Link back in time without using its power he will be unable to sleep for the time necessary for him to wield it, for its power to affect him thus has been broken. Therefore, Ganondorf would rule until that time, and were he to manage to kill the hero before that his rule would be eternal. Now, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, I place the three Spiritual Stones into your keeping. Keep them hidden, for I do not know what someone else may do with their power. Remember, you have made mistakes, but the power to correct them is also yours. Now go, and remember this: I placed my wisdom into the law of this realm. Uphold the law, and you shall find the power to stop a calamity. Break my rules, and Hyrule shall fall."

Zelda grimly nodded. After all, Nayru _was_ one of the great goddesses of Hyrule, and her wisdom was said to be infallible. She was ashamed of her actions and was prepared to decisively correct them. As the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, she should have seen the flaws in her logic. For now though, there was nothing left to do but wait. As Nayru pushed her spirit back into the swirling vortex, she prepared herself to speak to Link.

Meanwhile, Farore and Link were enclosed in a forest clearing in the Spirit Realm not unlike those found in the Kokiri Forest. Farore knew very well that her champion was extremely nervous for this, since he was probably expecting to be reprimanded. She knew that even among the Kokiri Link had not had an easy life, with Mido and his group taking every opportunity to attack him whenever he did anything wrong. It was sad how cruel children could be at times. Luckily, they were a minority, albeit a vocal one. Nevertheless, it was critical that Link be made aware of his situation. Just because she felt it best that all this time travel had occurred didn't make her any less sensitive to its potential consequences. Her champion's life was not going to be an easy one of relaxation this time around either. There was still much work for him to do and suffering that he must undertake, but on the whole it would be far better than the future that had been in store for him. "Link, please relax yourself. I am not here to insult or chastise you, but rather to talk to you about this new life you have to live."

Link only gave a confused stare. He was glad that Lady Farore didn't seem to be angry with him, but he didn't quite understand what she meant by talking to him about his new life. Wasn't the whole point of being sent back in time that he didn't actually have to do anything? "Lady Farore, what exactly do you mean? Ganondorf is defeated and the princess told me that she was sending me back so I could have the childhood I missed."

It broke Farore's heart to know that her champion was going to have to suffer again. Having created all beings to inhabit Hyrule, she felt their pain far more deeply than her sisters, and to have to tell her champion that his task was not yet done was almost more than she could bear. "Link, unfortunately things just aren't that easy. The spell that the Sages used to seal away Ganondorf was far too powerful to be cast all at once. It requires a steady flow of their own energy, not much, but enough to keep Ganondorf from battering away at it over time. Now that the timeline it was cast in no longer exists, the sages cannot send their energy into the seal because they have not actually sealed him, do you understand me?" Upon receiving a quick nod, she continued, "Luckily, Ganondorf was not sealed inside Hyrule but rather away in another realm. Therefore, the seal itself was not broken because he was not sent back with you. He will, however, eventually break free, although we do not know when. Your task is not yet finished, Hero of Time."

Link's ten year-old face looked far older than his years at that news. Although his memories from the short while he had been seventeen still remained, the real causes of his premature maturity were the journey he had undertaken and the suffering he had seen and been subjected to. His shoulders slumped for a moment, and then straightened again. "There really isn't another way, is there? I guess a life of rest was never meant to be for me. Can you take me back to the Temple of Time so I can take the Master Sword back? If he is going to break free I can't die before I beat him again, and that sleep is the best way to keep me safe until that time."

Farore internally groaned. 'Wow, there is a lot that needs fixing here if that's all the reaction I get out of him.' "Fortunately for you, Link, it doesn't work that way. The Master Sword was able to send you forwards and backwards in time as part of a cycle started when you removed it. However, when you sealed Ganondorf away it was returned without the intent to send you back, and when the princess cancelled that timeline your connection to the sword was broken. You can still wield it, for it is your right as bearer of the Triforce of Courage, but it will not move you through time and let you sleep for seven years until you can wield it properly. At any rate, you cannot enter the Temple of Time until you are old enough to wield it. As long as the temple remains sealed, then Ganondorf cannot enter and gain the power from the Triforce of Power. You will only be allowed to enter once the princess deems it fit, and that is when you will be able to seal Ganondorf away once again."

Link's expression was difficult for Farore to read. It might have been relief at not having to miss seven years of his life for a second time. It might have been worry about being unable to fight Ganondorf right away when he returned. It might have even been anger at himself for accepting the princess' offer to take back the years of his youth. Most important, though, was the fact that he was still willing to go through with everything. Most beings in Hyrule, unfortunately, lacked the willingness to sacrifice their own happiness for the benefit of all. Link was one of those rare few, and that was why she had chosen him as the bearer of her power in Hyrule. She had seen the inner strength inside of him even before he was born, and she knew that his was a type of courage that only a rare few had. Most of the Hyrulian knights were courageous too, but they fought in order to gain riches, prestige and glory. Link didn't care about any of that, and so he would fight even if no one ever knew his name or gave him so much as a Rupee for his troubles. And that was why she knew that she had made the right choice by not only letting him live out his childhood but in giving him a bit of help along the way.

Link finally spoke. "I understand, Lady Farore. Is that all, or is there something else I need to know? I must decide whether or not to accept the princess' offer to stay with her, for I have nowhere else to go as of now"

"Yes, my champion, there is one more thing. You could not have believed that I would place this burden on you once again without some extra assistance, could you? I believe that you recognized the song playing along with Princess Zelda's. That was my own song, one that I learned a long time ago from another realm where I grew my powers. It is one I used in the making of this world, and it must have been heard by a guardian spirit that I created early on, possibly even the ancestor of the Great Deku Tree. When enough magic is put into the song, it has great and powerful effects. That melody contained a gift for you, Link. It is no special weapon or power, but its effects will help you defeat Ganondorf once again without losing yourself in the process. However, that is not its primary goal. I cast that spell for you, not for your battle. It will give you hope for a better life that was not available to you in your other future. You would not know this, but my sisters tried to prevent the princess from destroying the other timeline, fearing Ganondorf's release. However, I sabotaged their plan so that I could give you this gift. Do not try and fight its effects, although you may be tempted to, for though this may seem to you strange and unnatural I can assure you that it is not, and that you deserve to be happy. Enjoy it the best you can. Oh, and one last thing before you go; although the Lost Woods will ensnare all those who are not of the Kokiri blood and turn them into monsters, you are still of the Kokiri blood. Even though you age as a Hylian does, your blood still contains the magic of the forest, and so you may return whenever you so desire. I would advise you to return there now; it would do you good to relax with your childhood friends before your journey, and I you still have a few winters yet before you must confront Ganondorf for the final time. Remember, Link, the reason why the princess sent you back: to live your childhood as it should have been. Do not waste it all preparing for something that cannot truly be prepared for. At any rate, it is unlikely that you would be able to live at the castle anyway. In this timeline you are not yet the Hero of Time, and the princess has less influence with her father than she believes."

With that, Farore sent Link back into the vortex, and he appeared beside the princess in the same spot he had been before they had been introduced to Nayru and Farore. There was no sign that the two goddesses had ever been there except a lingering residue of magic in the area.

Zelda turned to face Link once again. "I don't believe it is appropriate for us to discuss what was said to us by the goddesses, or they would have spoken to us together. What about you?"

Link quickly nodded. "Definitely, there were things discussed I don't feel all that comfortable sharing." In particular, he thought, how Farore felt that Zelda didn't have quite as much clout in her family as she thought. "I guess that I'd better being going, then."

"Hold on a moment, Link. Didn't I invite you to come and stay at Hyrule Castle with me?

Well, Link thought, Zelda certainly wasn't going to make it easy on him. "Well, apparently, even though I am not a Kokiri I can still live in the Kokiri forest. I have a home there and some friends I want to see, so I think it would be better if I just stayed there for as long as I can. You know, I guess, about Ganondorf?"

"Obviously. Lady Nayru wasn't about to let me live that down. So are you sure that you won't come and stay with me? I really would like it, you know." She gave him a look reminiscent of a dog kicked by its master. If there was any way she could get Link to come and stay, she wasn't going to pass it up.

Wonderful, now she was trying to guilt him into it too. "Look, Zelda, I'll come and visit you, don't worry. Right now, though, I just need somewhere to clear my head of all of this, where I can just be a kid again. Wasn't that the whole point of this?"

Zelda slowly and reluctantly nodded her head. "I guess you're right, Link. So this is goodbye for now then, all right?"

"Yeah. Goodbye, Zelda." And with that Link turned and walked off, leaving the princess watching him leave until he could no longer be seen even as a speck in the distance. '_Well, so I guess that's the end of that idea. It's too bad, really. I _really, really_ wanted him to come and stay with me. Oh well, now I have to deal with my father about escaping my guards, but maybe I'll cry tomorrow.'_

**Well, there is the end of chapter two. In case anyone was wondering why Link and Zelda seem so intelligent, remember that life experiences make you grow up a lot quicker, not only in terms of wisdom but intelligence as well. Besides, Zelda had her tutors and Link had Navi and Saria.**


	3. Are You Looking Up Tonight?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise or any of its characters, settings and items.**

Chapter 3: Are You Looking Up Tonight?

Link slowly walked through Hyrule Field. It had always taken him so much longer in his ten year-old body, since he didn't have Epona. Now it looked like he wasn't going to be riding her any time soon, something he would have to rectify once she grew into a mare again. He'd already befriended her before he entered the Temple of Time, so all he would have to do would be to convince Talon to sell it to him, since it wasn't likely that he could win it off Ingo this time unless Ganondorf influenced him again. At any rate, that would take a couple of years, so it wasn't his most pressing concern.

The sun was setting, and Link decided to head back onto the path. It would take him a while longer to get back that way, but he really didn't feel like fighting any Stalchildren at the moment. That was one thing he had liked better about the other world: the Stalchildren just didn't attack him when he was an adult. He could have worn the Bunny Hood, but somehow he just didn't feel like wearing it. It was really uncomfortable, and he was bothered enough as it was. It had only been a couple of days since he had defeated Ganondorf, and he hadn't actually had any time to properly rest for weeks beforehand. Although he couldn't rest his body for the moment, it wasn't all that pressing a need since his internal clock was reset every time he moved forwards or backwards in time. He could, however, rest his mind while he walked. He still needed time for his brain to digest everything he had seen, done and heard, and what better time to do that while he walked alone in the peace and quiet?

Actually, it wasn't entirely peaceful. Link could see the mailman sprinting down the path in his direction, although the fact that his name wasn't being called out loud enough for it to be heard from five miles off assured him that there was no mail for him this time, not that he had any reason to expect any. The mailman and he were actually pretty similar, he realized with a start. They were both always on the move, running from one place to another in order to finish their job. Then, once they achieved their goal, they were immediately off again on their next mission. He felt a stab of pity for the mailman, as even though his mission was still incomplete he would be able to rest soon enough. For the mailman, it was every day that he got up and ran across Hyrule to deliver letters that half the time weren't even all that helpful to their recipients. And through all that, he always kept the same eerily cheerful smile on his face. He wasn't sure whose job was harder.

Before he knew it, the mailman was almost directly in front of him. He had never actually realized it before, but the mailman was without a doubt the fastest person in Hyrule, and could probably keep up with a fully-grown Epona in a gallop as long as he didn't spur her to top speed. He glanced up at the sky, looking towards the realm of the goddesses where he knew that an argument for the ages would soon take place, considering what Lady Farore had told him about what she had had to do in order to fulfill her goals. When he looked back down, he saw the mailman standing directly in front of him. That surprised him almost as much as the meeting with the goddesses, since it was well known throughout Hyrule that the mailman never stopped for _anything_ other than a delivery until his day's work was over.

"Well, hello there, Link! What are you doing here on this fine evening?"

'_Well, at least the cheeriness hasn't mysteriously vanished too_,' thought Link. "I was just heading back home. It's been a while since I've been there, so I guess I should probably catch up." '_Well, hopefully that was ambiguous enough. It would not be good if people started to wonder where I came from. Somehow I can tell they would think I was a lying thief or just plain crazy.'_

"Ah, yes. It always does feel good to return home after a long journey. I know that very well, since it happens almost every day. Not so much recently, though, as the number of letters passing through the kingdom has really gone down in the past few weeks. I only have one letter left to deliver today, and this is the longest I've been out this week!"

"Really? Do you know why that is?"

The mailman only laughed. "No, and it really isn't my trouble anyway. The mail still has to get delivered no matter how much there is, so let the king deal with that. Interestingly enough, I haven't given you a letter in a few days now. It's funny how that is. I never gave you a letter for your whole life, and then you were getting at least one almost every day!"

With a nervous blush, Link responded, "Well, I guess I became popular quickly, then. I didn't even know most of those people until a couple of months ago, so I suppose that's why."

"Like I said, it's not my business why all of this is happening. Everyone has secrets to hide, and I don't see why you should be any different. Now, I really must be going if I want to get home before it becomes completely dark. I find I rather like being in my bed by midnight, and I suppose you might feel the same way. Let us hurry onwards; I'm sure that I shall be seeing you again before long."

Link nodded, while silently thinking, '_Hopefully I don't see you for a while, actually. I need a bit of time to rest, and somehow I don't think the Lost Woods will let you in to deliver a letter._' As the mailman turned to head down the path once more, Link blurted out a question he had been dying to ask ever since he met him but had never found the courage to do. "Um, Mr. Mailman? How is it that you are able to find me wandering around when you have a letter for me?"

The grin that appeared on the mailman's face seemed to Link both awkward and entirely appropriate for him at once. "I just told you, didn't I? Everyone has secrets to hide."

And with that, the mailman ran off into the distance, and Link turned back to his path. The mailman was right; it would be nice to get home before midnight, though it didn't seem likely that he would make it through the woods before then with the rapidly decreasing light, and he still had a long way to go. As he took up a steady pace once more, his thoughts turned to something that had been bothering his subconscious ever since Lady Farore had told him he could go back to the only home he had ever known. How would the other Kokiri feel about him when he grew up?

Saria, he knew, would stand by him no matter what. It wasn't even going to be a surprise to her, since she remembered the old timeline where they knew the truth about each other. Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same for sure about the rest of the Kokiri. The future Mido had actually understood and accepted it, but that was after seven years of constant war that even the Kokiri were not completely isolated from. Right now, there was no guarantee that they would even allow him back in without Saria's intervention, without the Great Deku Tree to rule them. Quite a few of the other Kokiri had always shied away from him because he didn't have a fairy, and even more were probably going to look on him with suspicion as he grew up. He only hoped that he would have a couple of friends left besides Saria, but that was probably too much to hope for.

Even more importantly, what was he going to do when he got back to the forest? He hoped to be able to see Saria before anyone else, but the sun was almost gone and she would be long asleep by the time he got there. Luckily, there were never any guards posted overnight at the entrance, since the Kokiri almost never actually tried to leave the forest, with no occurrences in Link's lifetime. He should be able to get into his house without much difficulty. However, that wasn't the problem.

The last time he had seen his best friend, it had hardly been a happy parting. She had told him that they were destined to be in different worlds, and in a sense they still were. He could still visit her whenever he wanted and he could even live there if he wanted to, but he still had a mission to complete once again. Besides, as he eventually grew up he simply wouldn't fit in with the Kokiri any longer. If everything went well he might be able to live there for another couple of years, but after that it would be time for something new. He wasn't sure if he could take that sort of separation again, even if it wasn't quite as drastic. For most Hylians, people changed, moved away, made new friends and grew away from old friends. Link's life didn't resemble that at all up until this point. There was never much change in the forest. New Kokiri were only born once every few winters, and even that had been slowing down recently as the forest was running out of space. The last Kokiri child to be born was four winters older than he, so he hadn't even known what went on with new additions to the forest until he'd asked Saria during his eighth summer. He had never really much of any change until Navi had been sent to him, so even though his new life got rid of many of his old problems it was going to give him a few new headaches as well.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't thought about Navi at all since he had been sent back. He hadn't seen her since the would-have-been final battle with Ganondorf, as she had flown off right after the end of the fight. With all of the commotion afterwards, he had completely forgotten about her, and he didn't know if she had been sent back through time along with them. He hadn't noticed her presence in the portal, but with the Seven Sages in there with him her presence could very well have been drowned out. After all, she was only a regular fairy in terms of magical power, and so there was still a chance that she was around somewhere with memories of the future. Even if she hadn't come back, she should remember him anyway from the time before they'd entered the Temple of Time.

As he looked forward again, he noticed that he was rapidly approaching the edge of the forest. It was almost completely dark, and without the Stalchildren popping up to attack him it was very peaceful, something he had seen all too little of over the past little while. It was a clear night sky, with stars scattered over his head. As he looked up into the night sky, for a little while his problems didn't seem quite so troubling.

***

While Link walked steadily along the path to the forest, the Kokiri in the Lost Woods slept quietly, with one exception. Saria, Forest Sage and the generally accepted female leader among the Kokiri (although that didn't mean they always listened to her), lay wide awake on the bed of her small, one-roomed home. After travelling through time, she had been lucky enough to find herself sitting alone in her favorite meadow outside what she now knew to be the Forest Temple, giving her some time to compose herself before she went to talk to her friends. She only hoped that her fellow sages were lucky enough not to have been dropped in the middle of a conversation they had forgotten about over the seven years. Still, there were definitely going to be some issues with dealing with her fellow Kokiri. Although she hadn't aged physically and never would, it would have been absolutely impossible to have seen everything she had without aging mentally.

Unfortunately, a group of eternal children who would never leave their sheltered forest or know anything of the outside world weren't the best people to be around in this kind of situation. They _liked_ her, sure, and listened to what she said, but there was absolutely no chance that they would believe a word of what she said if she told them the truth. Most of them had known her all their lives, and she herself would probably have thought she was crazy if she hadn't known better. Besides, they were children, not stupid.

She really wished that she could talk to Link right now. Since she was stuck in the forest, Link was the only person that could understand her unless she went and cleared out the Forest Temple to talk to her fellow sages. That would take a _long_ time, so she wasn't looking forward to it. It was too bad that he was probably asleep somewhere. She figured that he had gone to spend the night over at his friend Malon's home. She hoped that the princess hadn't convinced him to stay over at her house. Her fellow sages had told her about the strict way Hyrule Castle was run, and the king probably wouldn't look too kindly on his precious daughter bringing some peasant boy and asking if he could stay the night. She winced just thinking about it. That would most likely end up with Link either tossed into a jail cell for "corrupting his little girl into behaving in a manner unfit for a princess", or just unceremoniously thrown outside. Maybe she would call him tomorrow. She didn't know what she would do if she hadn't taught Link her song.

Deciding that she wasn't likely to get to sleep anytime soon, Saria got out of bed. It was cold in the forest at night, with only a small fire to heat her home. Luckily, in this timeline the sleeping tunic Link had made for her the previous winter was still in fine shape. After a couple of rogue Wolfos had threatened the village, Link, who was only just entering his tenth winter at the time, had managed to stun them with a couple of Deku nuts that had fallen from the Great Deku Tree and put them down before they could cause any real harm. He'd kept their pelts, which were very rare among the Kokiri on account of Wolfos attacks being uncommon and the fact that they only killed them when necessary. After treating them, he had made her this wonderful sleeping tunic that kept her warm throughout the whole year, even in the winter. She knew she would be sorry when it wore out again, it had already happened once.

To an outsider, it would probably have seemed that Link was being generous indeed. However, that was only a small part of it. In addition to the pelts being difficult to find, it took a substantial amount of time to painstakingly scrape off the matted fur, tan it, clean it so thoroughly that one would be hard-pressed to tell that it had come from an animal and not from carefully cultivated plants, and then actually make the tunic. She still wasn't sure how he had gotten it to fit her perfectly, although she suspected that her fairy Vara probably had something to do with it. After all that work, most people, Hylian, Kokiri, Gerudo or Zora (Darunia had told her that Goron clothing was only worn on special occasions and took very little work to make), would keep the result for themselves, and she didn't blame them in the slightest for that. Link was just _different_. She had been so surprised when his gift had been left on her bed one day after she had spent some time playing with her other friends in the meadow with a note that said to put it to good use. He hadn't even signed his name, although since he was the only one to have Wolfos pelts it was pretty obvious. When she had asked him if he knew anything he had blushed and tried to deny any knowledge, but eventually she had coaxed him into admitting it.

Of all the reasons why she had accepted without protest when Link had been sent to save the world that was probably the biggest one. He was always looking out to help others first, even when they didn't treat him all that well. When Mido would order some of the other Kokiri to do work that was beyond their ability he would go and help out, even if they had been teasing him about his lack of a fairy an hour before. She needed him, but Hyrule needed him more and so she kept from breaking down both times she had seen him expecting that it would be the last. Sure, she could still talk to him, but it wasn't the same. There were still times when she wished that he could come back and stay with her, and there had been nights where she had cried herself to sleep holding a pillow that he had left behind when he went off to save the world. In a world where friendship was the only bond you ever had, losing your best one for good wasn't something you got over easily.

And now, she was going to be pushed back into her old life again, reliving the seven years that had passed and many more. As a Kokiri she possessed eternal youth and immortality, but she wasn't altogether sure that she liked that. Seven years alone in a crowd did that to you, and it wasn't as though she could go and find new friends and people to talk to. She was ashamed to admit it, but there had been times during those seven lonely years where she had seriously considered leaving the forest under the cover of darkness, to see the outside world for just a little while, and then fall down and end it all. She had pushed those thoughts away easily then, but how long would it be until they returned? Fifty, a hundred, two hundred years? She had her duties to complete, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to stay like this forever.

After finding herself even less prepared to sleep than she had been previously, she decided she would step outside for a bit of fresh night air. It was completely silent, with no birds singing and the smoke rising from the homes of her fellow Kokiri rising straight up, signaling that there was no wind at all. Unfortunately, it was cold enough out that the air only served to make her wide awake, and she knew that she probably wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. She sat down on the grass outside her house and looked at Link's tree house immediately to her left. Mido had proclaimed that he was going to take it over after Link left, since he was as good as dead. After all, it was the nicest home in the village, since Link's skill with his hands was second to none. She had fought so hard to keep him out in the other timeline, but she hadn't yet convinced him in this one that Link might return and if not, it should be given to the next Kokiri to be born. That wasn't due to lack of effort though. Her arguments were a little feeble, but she couldn't stand the idea that the leader of those who shunned Link would take the home he worked so hard to build. She decided to go inside and borrow a couple of pillows and a trinket or two he had left behind. He wouldn't need them anymore, and she might need them to get to sleep.

After she climbed up the long ladder to Link's house, instead of entering she stood on the porch for a few moments. Staring up at the sky, she began to wonder if Link still thought about her as much as she did about him. He probably didn't, since she had way more free time and didn't know nearly as many people. Besides, they lived completely different lives now. She was stuck in the forest while he could go almost anywhere but the forest, and even though they could still speak to each other it would be only natural for him to grow apart from her. It was almost as if destiny decided to push them apart, and the only thing it let them share was the sky. In the daytime, she used it to remind her of him, how he had always liked being up high despite how down-to-earth he always was. She hoped that it meant something to him too. She wondered softly out loud, '_Are you looking up tonight?_' If he was, she hoped that it made him as peaceful as it did her.

Tearing her eyes away from the sky's beauty, she stepped into Link's house and jumped onto his bed. Cuddling up with the pillows she had slept with almost every night for seven years, tears began to run down her face once more. '_Why does it have to be like this? Why can't someone, just once, give us a break? Why does the world want to tear me apart from my best friend?'_

Saria lay on the bed quietly sobbing into the pillows long enough for her to have lost all sense of time. Her sobs managed to drown out the footsteps of the person climbing the ladder and entering the house until he was almost right behind her. Without lifting her head, Saria started to yell at the figure behind her.

"Mido, just go away! I told you already that you aren't getting Link's house! Stop coming in here!" She tailed off to almost a whisper. "Leave me alone, it already hurts enough."

The figure responded with a voice that Saria knew all too well. "Since when has Mido been in here? And why does he want my house?"

Twisting into a sitting position with agility Saria had never known she had, her tear-stained eyes widened to almost ridiculous levels. "Li..Li..LINK!"

And so Link found himself lying down on his bed, the victim of an enormous, violent hug from his sobbing, lifelong best friend. It was well past midnight, but that didn't matter to either of them for the moment. Saria didn't even care why Link was there or how it had come to happen. All that mattered right now was that they were together again, and that no one was going to pull them apart this time. Not if they had anything to say about it. Now, they could share more than the sky, and they wouldn't have to look up to remind themselves of each other.

**Well, not much happened in this chapter other than the initial meeting between Link and Saria. Don't expect it to be all sunshine and gumdrops, however. The problems mentioned here aren't all just going to magically go away and next chapter we see the Kokiri reaction to Link's return and confession. Also, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers so far. Whenever I hear that people like the story, or even have some constructive criticism for me, it motivates me even more to improve and give my readers the best product possible. Thanks.**


	4. Promise Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise or any of its characters, settings and items.**

Chapter 4: Promise Me

Shadows danced across the dewy fields of the Lost Woods. The sun was rising once again, just as it had every day for as long as any of the Kokiri inhabitants of the forest could remember. However, this morning would bring about a change to the lives of every Kokiri on a scale that dwarfed anything that had ever imagined. Hyrule was about to visit them.

The reason for that change was lying sprawled across his bed in a position so awkwardly uncomfortable that it was a wonder he had even managed to fall asleep in the first place. His head was resting against the footrest of the bed at an angle so that it was digging into his head, one of his legs was hanging of the side of the bed with his toes jammed into the floor and the other stretched out along the length of the mattress, with one of his arms curled around the edge of the footrest and his left grabbing his left knee. His friend was somewhat more comfortable, resting in a sitting position against the headrest with her legs stretched out in front of her. She was fast asleep as well, with a contented smile on her face that hadn't been seen since Link had left.

Link and Saria had stayed up into the early hours of the morning talking, but not about Link's grand adventures or the fight against Ganondorf. She hadn't even asked him how he had managed to come back, because it wasn't the right time yet. That would come soon, but she had just wanted everything to go back to the way it once was, even if it was only for one night. Her wish had been granted, as Link showed no interest in bringing up the topic either. Instead they spoke about the happenings in the forest. Even the relatively mundane events interested Link, because after all the adventures he had gone on, dullness was a nice alternative. He laughed so hard that he nearly fell off the bed when she told him about the time the Know-It-All brothers had tried to pronounce him dead the day after he left, only to find him calling Saria in the middle of their speech. Link had passed out a little over an hour ago, and Saria had followed soon after. Unfortunately, they were to be awoken far too soon for their liking, as the Kokiri children were not known for sleeping late.

Mido, being the first one to rise on most days, was no different this morning. If he was going to be the leader, he had to demonstrate his leadership by being up before everyone else and only going to bed when everyone else was asleep. It was during these times that he would show his true self. He knew very well that many of his fellow Kokiri didn't really like him, and why should they? He would always make them do work, like cutting the grass or picking up rocks. Despite all of their complaining, they still did what he said because they respected him. They were all still children, and like all children they needed structure. Without it, they would only become confused and they would no longer be able to protect the forest. Some of them might even end up leaving the forest and turn into, well, _something_. He wasn't sure what would happen, but the Great Deku Tree had always told them not to leave their section of the forest unless he specifically told them to, and only then with proper equipment. Even if he hadn't liked Link at all, he wouldn't let even him leave without having some means of protecting himself.

On this particular morning, Mido had gotten up to feed the fish in the small stream passing through the forest. Although the Kokiri loved fish and ate them on special occasions (as there certainly weren't enough fish in the stream to support them as a regular portion of their diet), most of them were absolutely clueless as to how the fish were able to eat. Every so often one of them would toss some bread made with Deku Nuts into the stream and watch the fish devour it, but it wasn't enough to satisfy their hunger for more than a day at a time. If they didn't get enough food, they would all starve or swim away. Mido took it upon himself to keep them fed, although he never told the other Kokiri about it. They would probably throw so much food into the stream that the fish would eat too much and die.

After he tossed the last morsels for the fish to devour, he set out to dutifully guard the wooden tunnel out of their part of the forest. The sun was already beginning to rise and the rest of the Kokiri should be rising in half an hour. No one had tried to leave the forest since Link had mysteriously disappeared after the Great Deku Tree died, and wild tales had passed through the community about what had happened to Link. Most of these stories involved Link dying a prolonged and painful death, because those were the stories their fairies told them about. Personally, Mido didn't feel that Link was dead. He had always been different from the rest of them, and if he wasn't a real Kokiri then it shouldn't matter if he left.

As he traipsed along the well-worn path to his post, a flicker of light caught his eye. It wasn't from the rising sun, but it came from inside a house. Normally, this wouldn't concern him because it was fairly common for one of his fellow forest-dwellers to get up before he expected, but he spun around and nearly fainted in shock this time. A light was coming from Link's house.

All thoughts of his duty forgotten, Mido crept up to the ladder leading to Link's arboreal home. Link had the nicest house in the whole village, and it would have been a prime target for any of the Kokiri to try and upgrade to. Mido himself had made a bid for it, but in the end no one was getting it for quite some time. Saria, the only Kokiri child who still believed that Link would return, had declared that no one but her was to enter Link's house, and that it was to be kept in pristine condition for his return. Alpha male Mido may have been, but it just wasn't worth it for him to try and fight Saria, who was beloved by every member of their community. Eventually she would come around, but if she wanted to spend a year or two grieving it was all right with him.

Mido placed his hand on the center of the door and applied just enough force to start the door turning. He poked his head around the corner to see flashes of green before he twisted back, his eyelids straining the confines of his sockets in abject shock. Once more, his head crept into the room, but this time it stayed where it was. Despite everything he had told himself for many suns, his old rival Link was back, and lying unsteadily on his bed with the fair Saria sleeping beside him. As awkward as he found his position of voyeur, he found that his feet were immobile in his surprise, and he stood there with the same expression of bewilderment on his face for what seemed to him like hours.

'_Wh…Wha…What? Link? How can Link possibly be here? He left the forest months ago, and no one has ever come back from the Lost Woods? I didn't think the forest would kill him, but he shouldn't be able to be here if he isn't a real Kokiri. Except if he is a real Kokiri, how did he survive the forest? Does he know a way to survive the forest? No, he can't. If he did, he would have told someone to try and make them like him. Maybe he found out from the Great Deku Tree before he died? No, that makes no sense. Our guardian god wouldn't have let us die just for leaving the forest for a little bit; he always tried to help us. The Deku Tree would have told us all a long time ago? And how did Saria know that he was alright and that he was coming back? She hasn't left the forest since Link went away, I would know if she did. Did Link tell her something before he left, or was it just luck on her part?'_

As Mido finally finished processing the information, he noticed that Link and Saria showed no signs of getting up any time soon. Turning his head on a swivel, he saw that a couple of the other Kokiri were already starting to hop out of bed. Rotating back towards the children breathing peacefully on the bed, Mido decided that, for the good of all the Kokiri, everyone had to know where Link had gone and how he came back safely. Asking Link himself would probably just make Link try to hide it from him, and trying to get Saria to divulge something Link trusted her with had about the same chance of working as trying to convince him to abandon his guard post. Therefore, he was going to make sure they had no choice in the matter.

"LINK! YOU'RE BACK!"

In an area the size of the Kokiri Forest, Mido`s scream was loud enough to reach every inhabitant, and even woke up the last few stragglers. Dressed or in pyjamas, the Kokiri darted out of their homes in the way only children can to see if Link was really back. Not fully understanding the significance of Link's return, their reactions were not only of surprise but of joy that their friend (of a sort) hadn't died in horrible and gruesome ways.

Mido's yell and the commotion of the scrambling Kokiri was far more than what was needed to wake the two sleeping friends. Despite their hour-and-a-half long rest, they bolted up completely alert with no lingering effects from their lack of sleep. Unfortunately, due to their unorthodox sleeping positions, awaking proved to be very painful. Saria jumped backwards, not realizing that her head was resting against the backboard. A loud smack echoed through the room, making everyone within hearing range wince. She curled up into the fetal position, grabbing at her throbbing skull.

Link's reaction didn't hurt him quite as much, but it proved far more embarrassing. He pulled himself up with alarming speed, only to forget that his foot was hooked around the edge of the bed. His speed flipped him up into the air, a small green form arcing backwards with a thunderous scream and landing, spread-eagled, on his back at the feet of the throng of anxious bystanders. Although fully awake, he still wasn't ready to understand what was happening, especially since harsh impacts with wooden floors have never done much for analytical skills. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the curious stares of every other Kokiri in the entire forest.

"Umm...Hi?"

Whatever the goal of Link`s statement, it had no impact on the Kokiri. They continued to fix their wide-eyed expressions on the green-clad boy on the ground.

"Did everyone forget me or something? It's me, Link!"

A pause of a split second was followed by a cacophony of hyperactive children shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Link! Is it really you?"

"Where did you go?"

"Why did you leave?"

"How come you're not dead?"

Faced with a barrage of questions, Link shied away from the mass of green-clad children, shifting onto his elbows and shuffling back before his arms gave way and he fell to the ground once again. Although Mido's active dislike of him hadn't caught on with the other Kokiri, he was never much of a socialiser, preferring to spend his time exploring and playing with Saria. Even if they didn't hate him, the constant teasing was difficult enough to deal with without trying to integrate fully. As the others pressed onwards, Link was given a temporary reprieve by Saria, who got up despite her throbbing headache and walked over to her best friend's side.

"Umm... can everyone please be quiet for a bit?" The chattering stopped almost instantaneously, and Saria hurriedly pressed on. "I understand that everyone wants to know where Link went and how he came back. I don't even know myself yet. Link is going to tell us all what happened later, but we have to give him some time to rest first. He only just got back when everyone else was asleep last night, and he is still very tired. We're going to give him until sunset before any of us ask him any more questions, okay? We can all sit by the river and Link will tell us everything, but right now we all have things we need to do. Mido, what does everyone have to do today?"

A collective groan rose from the crowd, both at the long wait and at Mido's universally hated tasks. The self-appointed taskmaster quickly doled out responsibilities to every other Kokiri in the room save Link and Saria. After the others set out, Mido walked over to the remaining two with a sharp look. "Link, I expect that you're going to tell us all the truth tonight. None of us know how you survived outside the forest for all that time and it could be very important to the rest of us. Saria, I know I can't tell you what to do but I think you should stay with Link for the rest of the day. Help him get used to being back here and help him get ready to talk tonight. That's just a suggestion, but I think it could really help." With that, Mido turned and walked out the door to supervise the rest of the Kokiri in their labours.

Before Mido had even cleared the doorway, Saria had turned around to face Link and grabbed his shoulder. "Link, are you going to tell me what happened?" Link's features tensed up, only slightly but enough for Saria to notice. "I don't mean what you're going to tell them, because you obviously can't tell them about the time travel and Ganondorf and the Sages. I want to know how you can come back to the forest even though you're a Hylian. All I know is that the goddesses were talking about whether or not to interfere when Zelda was about to send us all back, and that Farore ignored her sisters and let Zelda play the Song of Time. I just know that we all went through the spell and then I was back here. I didn't think I'd ever be able to see you again, and then you came back."

Link hesitated for a moment, and then pushed on with his side of the story. "You know everything that happened before the spell, don't you?" After receiving an affirmative nod, he ploughed on with the rest of his story. "Well, after Zelda and I were sent back in time, the goddesses Nayru and Farore came to speak with us. I don't know what Nayru told Zelda, but Farore said that even though I'm a Hylian, I still have Kokiri blood and magic in my body. Even when I grow up and become old, I will still be able to come and visit whenever I want."

Saria's face burst into a delighted grin. "Well, that's fantastic, Link! Now I won't have to lose you again!" On seeing that Link wasn't showing the same enthusiasm as she was, she began to tear up. "What's wrong, Link? Don't you want to be able to visit me? Aren't we still best friends?"

"No, no, no, Saria, I will always be your friend!" Link hurriedly tried to explain. "That isn't everything that Lady Farore said to me. There are still a lot of terrible things that have to happen in this timeline."

Saria shifted closer to Link and lightly grabbed his other shoulder. Staring him straight in the eyes, she asked, "What terrible things? We still need to make sure that Ganondorf doesn't come back, but we have time to figure out how to stop him this time without the Spirit Realm. Last time was an emergency sealing that had to be done because Ganondorf had the Triforce of Power. Without it, we will be able to defeat him without using all of our power."

Link brightened up, but then returned to his previous mood so quickly that Saria might have missed it if she hadn't been so close to him. "Well, that's good, I guess. The problem is, Saria, I won't be able to use the Master Sword unless Princess Zelda unseals the Temple. If she does that Ganondorf might be able to take the Triforce of Power again like he did last time. I don't know if I can beat him without its power."

Saris threw her arms around her best friend and whispered in his ear, "Link, stop thinking about stuff like that. We have at least a few more years before Ganondorf can break the seal, and you can't spend the entire time worrying about how _we_ are going to defeat him this time. Lady Farore and Princess Zelda allowed this to happen because they wanted you to have a chance to live your childhood. No one wants you to waste that time, because if you do there will have been no point in doing all of this."

"Saria, there was definitely a good reason to do all of this. You and the other Sages won't have to spend the rest of eternity holding the seal on Ganondorf. You will be free."

Although Link didn't know it, his words had a profound impact on his best friend. It was true that she would have spent the rest of eternity holding Ganondorf in chains in the old timeline, but what was she going to do when Link was gone? Part-Kokiri or not, her best friend was going to age like all the other Hylians, and one day he would pass on from her world while she would stay in the forest forever, never being able to leave. Trying to hide her dark thoughts from her friend, she responded, "Link, you are the Hero of Time, the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. We made a choice, but you were never even given a chance to make one. Please, just let it go for now. We can talk about it later, but now I just want you to be my friend, not the great Hero. Promise me, Link."

Link decided to let it go for the moment. "Saria, I understand what you want me to do, but I'm just not sure that it's for the best. Besides, Lady Farore gave me something else to think about. She said that she was giving me a gift, but she never told me what it was. Hopefully I'll find out soon enough."

Saria nodded and dragged Link back to the bed. "That's great. Right now, we need to get some more sleep. The other Kokiri are going to ask a lot of questions tonight, and we both need to get some rest."

***

The sun was falling under the tree line when Link and Saria finally awoke from their extended nap. They felt refreshed and, in Link's case, ready to face the questions of his peers, but also famished, not having eaten the entire day. Saria returned to her home to change into some new clothes, and Link did the same. He had been wearing the same green outfit for months, and Navi's cleaning magic could only do so much. Besides, he still hadn't seen her and he was getting worried about her. If she had been caught outside the forest or, Din forbid, in the portal, she might not be able to find her way back for months, if ever. Pushing aside the depressing thoughts, he went to check if Saria was ready. If his fairy partner was in the place they were at the time they returned to, she would have ended up at the Temple of Time's entrance. She would take a day or two to fly back to the forest from there, so there was no reason to get worried yet. Before he knew it, he was knocking on Saria's door and asking her if she was ready.

With a bright smile, his friend opened the door and skipped out, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the circle where the rest of the Kokiri sat. The crowd was filled with a nervous excitement, and as they approached Mido called out, "So Link, are you ready to tell us what happened? Come on, sit in the middle and give us your story."

Link hesitated, but began reluctantly walking to the center before Fado grabbed his arm and called out, "Link and Saria haven't eaten anything yet today! Come on, we're all starving and this might take a while! Let's have dinner first and then we can hear him!" Mido tried to protest, but the hungry Kokiri ignored him and began throwing some fish on a makeshift grill over a fire they had already set up for warmth. Meanwhile, others started to distribute roots and leaves from the Soki plant, dividing them equally into hollowed out Deku Nut shells. The fish were quickly cooked and handed out, and Deku Nuts were tossed on the grills to be roasted for dessert. While everyone ate, Link couldn't help but notice the anticipation building in the rest of the Kokiri. Instead of chattering like birds, they stayed quiet and ate their food quickly, hoping to get to the good part as quickly as possible.

After the last of the Deku Nuts had been eaten, every eye in the forest turned to Link, who slowly lifted himself off the ground and trudged to the middle, taking deep breaths with every step. Plopping down on the ground, he faced the unnerving, unblinking stares of his fellow Kokiri and began his tale.

"Umm... Well, I guess this all started when one morning, Navi showed up and woke me up. I don't suppose any of you have seen her, have you?" After seeing the others all shake their heads, he continued, "Well, if you do see her, please tell me. I'm hoping that she'll be back by tomorrow morning if she's where I think she is. Oh, the story. Right, so Navi showed up one morning, and told me that the Great Deku Tree was calling me. I tried to go and see him right away, but Mido wouldn't let me leave unless I had a sword and shield to protect myself." At this, most of the Kokiri looked surprised, for Mido's dislike of Link was well known. "So I went and found the Kokiri Sword and bought a Deku Shield, and went to visit the Great Deku Tree. He told me that he had been attacked by an evildoer, and he asked me to rescue him from his curse. I went inside, fought some Deku Scrubs and other animals, and finally found out that a giant spider-like animal was inside the Great Deku Tree and feeding off his energy. With Navi's help, I got a couple of lucky hits in and managed to kill the spider, but it was too late to save the Great Deku Tree. He gave me the Kokiri's Emerald, and asked me to go and find the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire to help save the forest and defeat the evil sorcerer who had cursed him. It was too late for him, and he passed away right after I got out."

The Know-It-All Brothers jumped up after Link told the first part of his story. "You liar! There is no way that you could save the Great Deku Tree with just a sword and a shield! Mido said that you would tell us the truth, but you're not doing it!" Many of the other Kokiri began murmuring in assent, but Mido unexpectedly came to Link's rescue.

"Let him finish! We have to listen to what he says before we decide if it's true or not, so let him tell the whole story!"

Although Mido had given him a temporary reprieve, Link knew that he needed some sort of proof of his adventures, or they would never accept him back into the forest. Rifling through his bottomless bag, he searched for some evidence that would convince the other Kokiri of his truthfulness.

'Slingshot...no. Hookshot...no. Hylian Shield...maybe, but I don't think so. Oh, this should work!'

Link pulled two pieces of clothing from his bag, looking nearly identical to his Kokiri Tunic aside from their colors. He grabbed the red one, walked up to the fire and dangled the hem in the flames. After leaving it in for half a minute, he pulled it out the reveal that it had not been burnt at all. The gasping of his fellow Kokiri elicited a smile on Link's face. "This is a Goron Tunic. It can be put in fire and it will never burn, and it will protect me from heat when I wear it. Maybe I can show you later, but the blue one is a Zora Tunic. It lets me stay underwater without having to come up for air."

Having gained the attention of everyone in the forest, Link continued, "Is this proof enough for you? I got these when I had to open up a cavern for the Gorons on Death Mountain and save the Zora princess in Lake Hylia. After that, I just had to deliver them to Hyrule Castle before I could come back here. Are there any questions?"

Mido stood up almost immediately. "How were you able to leave the forest without dying?"

Saria glanced worriedly at Link. He had done well so far, telling the truth while neglecting to mention anything that happened in the old timeline. Now, though, he had to answer a question that had no right answer. He could tell them the truth and admit his Hylian heritage, but suffer rejection from the community. Alternately, he could tell them that Kokiri could leave the forest, but she knew he wouldn't condemn any of them to die to protect his secret. What Link decided to do, however, completely caught her for a loop.

"It was the Kokiri Emerald that let me leave. The Great Deku Tree kept it hidden because he didn't want any of us to leave, because even without the curse upon those who leave it is still very dangerous in the rest of the Lost Woods, not to mention Hyrule. I had to give the princess the emerald, but since I touched it I can still leave the forest if I have to. Maybe I can bring some more things back next time. It's too bad that I can't get the emerald back, but the forest would have been destroyed, and that would have been a lot worse."

Murmuring their assent, the Kokiri decided that they no longer had any questions to ask Link, and decided that they would head off to bed, and soon only three were left; Mido, Saria and Link. Mido splashed water on the smouldering embers before turning to Link and giving him a sharp nod. "Thank you for telling us the truth, Link." After saying his piece, he too walked away to his home.

Just like the previous night, Link and Saria were out alone in the dark. They sat on the ground for a few minutes before Saria broke the silence. "You did a great job, Link. You didn't tell them any of the important stuff, but you didn't lie any more than you had to. What are you going to do now, though? Everyone knows that you can leave the forest, so you can go find your old friends and meet with the other Sages. But what are you going to do for the next few years? Are you going to be able to live with us after everything you've seen, or will you only come back to visit? What about when you start growing older, and the rest of them know that you weren't telling the whole truth? What about..."

Link grabbed Saria's arms and pulled her into an embrace much like she had done to him that same morning. "I'll be honest with you; I really don't know yet, Saria. I have some time to figure it out though, and with your help I'm sure that we won't have any problems. Come on, let's go to bed."

Saria gave Link a shy smile. "Alright. And Link?"

"Yeah?"

"When you leave the forest again, could you get me some more Wolfos pelts? They're starting to get a little worn."

The two of them burst out into laughter, knowing that they still had time together before he had to leave again.

**Okay, I'm **_**really, really**_** sorry that I took 8 months to update. I never planned on it, but I got caught up in schoolwork, then I lost my inspiration for a bit, went to work, and finally figured out where I wanted to go with this story. I'm still going to have sporadic updates, but rest assured that this story will be completed, even if it takes five years to do so. And no, I won't cop out and write a quick ending just to say that I told the truth.**


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